March 26, 2008

How Can I Use My Inkjet Printer to Print Fine Art?

By Anne Rutherford

PrinTip: Unleash Your Inner Ansel Adams by Matching Printer and Paper

Worldwide shipments of fine-art ink jet paper will nearly double between 2005 and 2010, according to market research firm Lyra Research (home of inkjet expert and Printer Pundit Andy Lippman). If you're one of the aspiring Ansel Adams helping to drive this market, we have a tip to help you and your inkjet printer create memorable (and perhaps sellable) fine art.

Two tips actually — know your printer intimately so that you can pick the right paper. According to Rick LePage in his MacWorld article, Printing on Unusual Surfaces, dye ink printers achieve good results from most glossy and semi gloss papers, as well as most matte-finish papers. Pigment inks tend to produce the best prints on papers with dull finishes, such as matte, fiber, and fine-art papers. Pigment inks also work well on fabrics and handmade papers.

Matte paper is the first choice among serious artists for a reason: it lasts the longest and does the best job absorbing ink. In picking a matte, "the heavier the better," says amateur photographer Edwin Leong, who has done your matte homework for you with a full review of the options in his Camera Hobby article, Fine Art Digital Matte Papers. His top pick — Epson Velvet, especially for black and white photos.

Perhaps matte is where it's at for you, but don't be afraid to think outside the box. Fiber-based, watercolor, and handmade papers offer something extra. How about running a piece of fabric through your printer? "The trick to unusual paper is understanding which ones your printer can handle," writes LePage.

Newer printers from Canon, Epson, HP, etc. have come a long way, and can handle heavier paper. However, some paper manufacturers make thin versions of their fine art paper to accommodate older model printers, adds LePage.

If your friends praise your prints, you can delve deeper into the subject to further unlock your talent by reading the just-released eBook, The Art of Fine Art Printing: Using Today's Inkjet Printers for Quality Prints, by renowned photographers Uwe Steinmueller and Juergen Gulbins.

We just hope you remember this little ole blog post when your Paris exhibition opens!

About PrinTips
Sometimes useful, sometimes fun, and always interesting, PrinTips enable you to get more out of your ink jet or laser printer. That said, we don't profess to have a monopoly on printer tips so if you have anything to add, please do so below.